<br />
<p>
An <span style="font-style: italic">Essay on the Devleopment of Christian Doctrine</span> , reprinted from the 1888 imprint, &ldquo;is rightly regarded as one of the most seminal theological works ever to be written,&rdquo; states Ian Ker in his foreword. &ldquo;It remains,&rdquo; Ker continues, &quot;the classic text for the theology of the development of doctrine, a branch of theology which has become especially important in the ecumenical era.&rdquo;<br />
<br />
John Henry Cardinal Newman begins the <span style="font-style: italic">Essay</span> by defining how true developments in doctrine occur. He then delivers a sweeping consideration of the growth and development of doctrine in the Catholic Church, from the time of the Apostles to Newman&rsquo;s own era. He demonstrates that the basic &ldquo;rule&rdquo; under which Christianity proceeded through the centuries is to be found in the principle of development, and emphasizes that thoughout the entire life of the Church this law of development has been in effect and safeguards the faith from any real corruption.<br />
<br />
Ker concludes that, &quot;we may say that the <span style="font-style: italic">Essay</span> is not only the starting point for the study of doctrinal development, but so far as Catholic theology is concerned, it is still the last word on the subject, to the extent that no other theologian has yet attempted anything on the same scale or of similar scope. . . .But even if the <span style="font-style: italic">Essay</span> was not one of the great theological classics, it would still be of enduring interest for two reasons. First it is one of the key intellectual documents of the nineteenth century, comparable to Darwin&rsquo;s <span style="font-style: italic">Origin of Species</span>, which it predates by over a decade. Second, if this were the only book of Newman to survive, its rhetorical art and style would surely place him among the masters of English prose.&rdquo;</p>
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<strong><font size="3"><span id="bk_reviews_label">Review</span></font></strong></p>
<p>
&quot;It is a great boon to Newman scholars and to the general public to have available the revised, 1878 edition of Newman&#39;s essay on development. . . .&nbsp;It contains a superb foreword by Father Ian Ker which places the essay within the context of Newman&#39;s own theological work as well as that of the theological understandings of development which preceded and followed the essay. . . . [It] is also the profoundly personal stand of one of the finest theological minds of the nineteenth century. . . . This book belongs in every theological library, and is accessible to most educated readers. It is especially rewarding for those who find the study of history a liberating theological exercise.&quot; &mdash;<span style="font-style: italic">The Catholic World</span></p>
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The Early Church Fathers wrote a lot. Here are twelve books that give you a complete overview of the early Church Fathers and the times in which they lived.

Mike Aquilina

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Introductory Course on the Church Fathers

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2009-06-04 15:59:21.047

Please note that these are not my "top ten" books but, rather, they are ten important books that make for a solid foundation in apologetics upon which one can build. I would advise anyone who is serious about engaging in apologetics to carefully read each of these at the outset. There are other important works I could add, but these will provide a good start for any aspiring apologist.

Patrick Madrid

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Foundational Apologetics Books

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2009-06-22 17:12:21.683

All of these have been hugely influential in my own life, and I think they are very important books, that would be of spiritual and educational benefit for anyone (though the Cardinal Newman titles are quite "heavy" reading and not to everyone's taste). No particular order . . .